About this Site

Emilie Davis was an African-American woman living in Philadelphia during the U.S. Civil War. This website is a transcription of Emilie’s three pocket diaries for the years 1863, 1864, and 1865. In them, she recounts black Philadelphians’ celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation, nervous excitement during the battle of Gettysburg, and their collective mourning of President Lincoln. The diary allows readers to experience the war in real time, as events unfolded for Civil War Americans. Read More...

Page

January 10-12, 1865

Tuesday, January 10, 1865.

raining fast all the morning it slushed toward evening i went down home then to meeting we had a very good meeting Nell did not go

Wednesday 11

clear and cold the girls came for me to go to the practicing we all went up to the hall it was very nice i did not go in the evening

Thursday 12

very pleasent i went down to Mr livelys he excused himself i did not have a lesson in the afternoon i went up to Mrs. Harriss and […] at the Plobes

Annotation 1

Emilie elaborates on her activities at the hall in the miscellaneous section in the back of her diary. To view this entry, click here.